Menu

sequel

Imagine with me for a moment: a film series that has lasted seven films, with the seventh being called “The Final Chapter”, but somehow; another sequel was on the way. Impossible? Not quite. At least, not for the SAW franchise, because sometime next year [presumably around Halloween] we are getting another sequel/addition to this seemingly never ending cycle of films. The question on everyone’s mind though is if it is a sequel, a reboot, or a continuation; because with a title like SAW: LEGACY, it does not tell us much. It is no surprise that rumors and secrets circle this film because this is not the first time I have written about this sequel, just look at the SAW VIII tag on warrenisweird but today, I have a new exciting development to add to this tag: plot details..At least, that’s what they are being called since we have zero knowledge about this new film as far as trailers/screenshots/anything.

According to sources, SAW: Legacy is going to begin with bodies turning up around the city, each having met a uniquely and gruesome end. [No doubt as a result of their “tests”] But as the investigation proceeds, evidence points to one man: John Kramer. But as fans know, this is impossible.. The man known as Jigsaw has been dead for over a decade. [see SAW III] Could it be that another apprentice has begun his/her version of the works of Jigsaw, or perhaps even someone within the investigation? Before people start jumping on the bandwagon of [spoiler] Hoffman surviving the sequence at the end of The Final Chapter, it’s also noted that Costas Mandylor[who played Hoffman] or Cary Elwes[who played Doctor Gordon] will not be returning to play their respective characters, who [spoiler] both ended up becoming apprentices of Jigsaw in previous installments. As for the originalJigsaw, it is rumored that Tobin Bell will be back in some way, shape, or form. [Don’t be too surprised if it is only through flashback sequences]

I guess what I am trying to say is that I am feeling the same way as most people in the horror community: just what the hell is SAW: LEGACY going to be about, and what could the story arc follow? Personally, I want to know what Doctor Gordon was doing after the end of the “Last” SAW film; but if he is not set to star in this film – it raises even more questions: is this “new” Jigsaw a copycat? A new apprentice? Another cop? Or maybe someone new we have yet to know anything about. Let me know who You think it could be in the comments below, and if You are not sure who to guess; let me know if You are looking forward to anotherSAW film!

As always, if you find yourself to enjoy what I do on here, then pleasetake a minute and follow meover on my Facebook page[we’re at over 170+ likes – let’s get to 200!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see everypost from warrenisweird the verymoment it’s been “gone live” online; and I alsoshare links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog.

Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! I’ve also been writing way more reviews on my Letterboxd account, this is because I’m trying to review every single movie I watch – with each review [usually] coming the very next day after viewing! Are you interested yet? Check me out over there and click that “follow” button! I’m just bound to follow you back because I like reading other people’s thoughts on film, as well as writing reviews myself!

Another day, another SAW movie. If you were not aware or are just joining me, there are seven of them – with an eighth coming next year – and I intend on reviewing each one. Why? Because I feel like, for the most part, they’re enjoyable films. With yesterday’s post being about one of my favorites in the franchise, lets talk about it’s specific sequel: SAW V and while its not terrible, it is certainly not “good.”

Like the other films before, SAW V begins with a slighter more “extreme” trap, killing one of Jigsaw’s victims in one of his more elaborate traps, although there is one major difference.. this time, the victim of the trap actually does what is required to free himself, which was crushing his own hands into a crippled and broken state. But for some reason, the trap doesn’t stop! The victim is still executed, and the message is made clear: this isn’t the same Jigsaw killer we’ve been exposed to in previous SAW movies.. why should it be, though? Don’t forget, the “real” Jigsaw was killed two movies ago, and while SAW IV managed to tell a pretty good story, SAW V doesn’t do it quite as well.

Beginning with SAW III, each chapter of the franchise has given us more insight, exposing more about the Jigsaw killer, giving a pretty decent backstory on Tobin Bell’s popular character within the last movie. With the initial killer pretty much fully explored [and explained] at this point, it’s time for some new blood/someone new. The story of SAW V gives us Detective Hoffman, the only surviving character from the previous movies, into the role of yet another of Jigsaw’s helpers. You read that correctly – the one remaining cop was playing for the bad guys all along. [Because of course he was..] In order to prove this to us, the movie begins to show a flash course history lessons in the previous story lines that try, but don’t really “fit” very well and feels more like it’s cheating; we are basically seeing the stories we’ve already seen before, with Hoffman squeezed in, instead of developing something new entirely..

It’s just that the whole thing just isn’t given to the viewer very well. In the case of the other SAW movies, I had no trouble following the overall story arc. [How each one fits as a whole] And even though I’ve seen SAW IV, I had trouble figuring out just how SAW V tied into the franchise through the movie. Sure we seeHoffman, and where he has been during the last films, but then why does SAW V feel like a piece of a completely different puzzle? It’s convoluted and sloppy story-telling, and by superimposing Hoffman into previous scenes, it feels almost lazy. Surely I am not alone in feeling this way, right? [Maybe this is why I never liked Detective Hoffman as a character!]

Looking at SAW V as it’s own thing, it doesn’t really work well within itself. Granted, the movie does return to it’s proven formula of given us a group of people trapped inside a series of rooms, each with one of Jigsaw’s traps designed to play off their weaknesses. As the victims proceed [and y’know, die]inside, the police and FBI go through a dangerous hunt on the outside. Only this time, the two story-lines are completely unrelated.[wait, what?]Nobody is searching for these missing people, and they really aren’t linked to the other characters outside of the chamber. Hell, as far as I am aware, nobody even seems to know the five victims are even missing. That isn’t just bad story-telling, it’s a vital piece of information. This ongoing investigation in the outside world is all aboutHoffman, not about any missing person cases. Because the stories are separate and barely even connect, it never manages to form a cohesive story for the movie as a whole.

Unfortunately, by the end of SAW V, it started to feel like the SAW franchise has run its course, and is now officially out of ideas of where to go next with the movie’s world. Between the broken history lessons, the disconnected story-lines, and traps that really don’t feel up to the same creative level of the previous chapters, SAW V is a disappointing addition to a franchise I used to love. Either that, or I am just bored with these films which – to a 17 year old me – sounds like blasphemy. I didn’t even mention Agent Strahm, who was the main cop chasing Hoffman. Quick adlib: he [unsurprisingly] dies at the end of this film, in the worst way you can imagine.

WHAT WILL FOLLOW FOR DETECTIVE HOFFMAN? JOIN ME TOMORROW WHEN I REVISIT THE CONTINUATION WITH: SAW-TOBER #06: SAW VI.

Now I turn to You – the reader. How did you take SAW V? What about Hoffman? Is he a worthy successor, or just a murderer? Let me know in a comment below, and if you enjoyed this review, and are looking for more, go and follow meover on my Facebook page! [we’re at over 150+ likes – let’s get to 200!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see everypost from warrenisweird the verymoment it’s been “gone live” online; and I alsoshare links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. So go followover there too!

Like this:

Welcome back for a the second entry in SAW-TOBER with my least favorite of the entire franchise: SAW II. Now, by “least favorite” I don’t mean it is a bad movie, but rather that I have seen it far too many times. Hell, when late night cable plays a SAW film around Halloween, it tends to be this one. Like most sequels, the writers/creators feel that they have to “up the ante” in order to feel/stay relevant, and does the gore step up in this one – at least, in contrast to the first film. We also get more victims this time around – eight instead of two – and the setting is in what appears to be an abandoned house.. Will this game be more fun than the first? Let’s find out, and dive head first into the needle pit that is SAW II.

Right off the top, you can expect Jigsaw, the serial killer who tormented Doctor Gordon[and Adam] to be back in full swing in SAW II, armed with trickier traps and games for everyone. As Jigsaw himself even tells the audience, “Oh yes, there will be blood.” However, that “audience” isn’t just us – the movie goer – but is also made up of police detectives who have captured him and have him for questioning. That’s right – Jigsaw, or – as we learn from this film [his real name] – John is now in custody within the first ten to fifteen minutes of the movie’s opening. [wait, what?] Let’s get one thing straight, since the Jigsaw’s secret identity was revealed at the end of the first film, this sequel doesn’t attempt to play dumb with that, we get reminded that this older man is the one behind these “games.” [and thus becomes relevant for the remainder of the franchise] We also get this opportunity to put the killer front and center camera with some some spectacular scenes between Jigsaw and Detective Eric Mason that for some, could very well rival the conversations in Silence Of The Lambs between criminal and cop. Mason, it turns out, may very well be a new target of Jigsaw’s game – a game of life and death the detective gets to watch live on video monitors as Jigsaw’s victims, including the detective’s son Daniel, struggle for survival.

Like I mentioned above, this time around, the setting is different than the first film. Instead of just two people in a bathroom, we now have half a dozen people in a house where they are breathing in a toxic gas that will kill them in two hours. The “players” are a wide spread variety of people, including the aforementioned Daniel and Amanda, a woman who has been “tested” by Jigsaw before. The game this time is simple: find antidotes to the toxin and work together to find a way out. It’s nothing special, and I’m sure other movies have done this before [I’m looking at you, Cube!] but it’s SAW so I’m not overly surprised at this plot.

In this house, each room contains a puzzle intended for a specific “player” of Jigsaw’s grand scheme, complete with a classic cassette tape that explains for whom and why each trap exists. The tape also explains that character’s particular “crime” [why Jigsaw felt that particular person needed to be tested] which I thought was a great way for the viewer to get more engrossed in the victims, telling us each character’s flaws without going into tons of exposition. However, there is one major problem I have with this movie: the convenience of there being no puzzle rooms for characters who end up being killed off before finding their room – meaning, Jigsaw is either the best fortune-teller ever, able to predict which characters will die, [and when] or it means the writers got sloppy and put a few characters in with their only purpose being to serve as “red shirts.” I think it would have been far more interesting for the brute of the group, Xavier – this guy for people bad with names – to have killed one member of the group, only to find that character’s trap and notknow how to deal with it..

Speaking of, I should probably also mention the traps that come along in the film. In SAW II, they’ve been created by Jigsaw, a mentally disturbed serial killer. When I first saw the movie, the very idea and concept for some of these traps are can be seen as sickening and more then one made me wince just at the thought of what was going to happen, and then it finally appeared on screen to make me cringe. Yeah, at first, I was not a fan. [can you say ‘needle pit?’] The traps as a whole though are smart and cunning, they’re willing to make you act first and think later [like the image above] only to be left to bleed and die. It really shows the kind of people these characters are, and for that – I’ll give them the benefit.

As with most horror movies these days, SAW II does have that one disappointing aspect, the same issue I had with the first SAW film: the fast-paced and flashing editing style that ensues when the action kicks in. Seriously. Every time Jigsaw’s puzzles even prepare to go off, we see quick – and increasingly faster – strobe light like shots of the trap before, during, and after it “goes off.” Some of these shots are so fast I’m surprised there isn’t a warning for epileptics, that flashing [and blinding] lights are used. It does create an extremely tense atmosphere though, which I cannot argue. I always felt this type fast paced cut shows their mind racing at the speed of the shot. I will say though, if you can make it through the first five minutes of the movie, which is a eye-wrenching trap that references the first film, then you’ll be fine. But, if you’re having a panic attack by then, chances are, you won’t make it through the rest of the movie. It only gets more intense as it goes on.

Also like the typical horror movie, at least the ones that have come out since the early 2000s, there is a necessary surprise twist. That’s not really spoiling much since the concept of a twist was such a big element for the first SAW, and besides; these movies are over ten years old. Thankfully, the ending of SAW II is well done. It makes complete and total sense and, more importantly, doesn’t feel plastered on just to get a rise out of the audience. It’s the kind of plot that was clearly determined early in the writing process, therefore making it an essential part of the movie. That ending scene with Xavier will always make me grind my teeth.

With a stronger story, sicker and more disturbing traps, and better acting then the original, SAW II is one of those rare sequels that builds and even surpasses the foundation it was built on. Even though I consider this film to be my least favorite of the series, it’s still a solid addition to the SAW series, and while the movie does, yet again, leave things open for a potential sequel – or three – they got the SAW concept [and story] down by this sequel. There was really no need to delve further and possibly steer the franchise in the wrong direction..right?right?

JOIN ME TOMORROW WHEN I REVISIT AND REVIEW THE ENDING OF WHAT SHOULDHAVE BEEN THE ENDING OF THIS SERIES: SAW III.

Now I turn to You – the reader. What were Your thoughts on SAW II ? Was it a better film than the first? Or are you waiting for a certain sequel to be reviewed – and if so, which one? Let me know in a comment below, and if you enjoyed this review, and are looking for more, go and follow meover on my Facebook page! [we’re at over 150+ likes – let’s get to 200!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see everypost from warrenisweird the verymoment it’s been “gone live” online; and I alsoshare links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. So go followover there too!

Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! I’ve also been writing way more reviews on my Letterboxd account, this is because I’m trying to review every single movie I watch – with each review coming the very next day after viewing! Are you interested yet? Check me out over there and click that “follow” button! I’m just bound to follow you back because I like reading other people’s thoughts on film, as well as writing reviews myself!

Earlier this week – Monday the 13th – a friend and I went and saw The Conjuring 2. I enjoyed it, surprisingly a lot more than I expected; and definitely better than the first Conjuringfilm. [read my full review on The Conjuring 2 here] However, on the way back from the movie, I had an epiphany: if the “haunting” shown in the film is based on actual events, and Ed and Lorraine Warren were concerned about the whole thing being a hoax, just how much of is actual truth? That’s where we are today: I’m going to be looking into the true story behind the infamous “Enfield Poltergeist” and separate the facts from the fiction. As expected, this post does involve the plot and important details involving The Conjuring 2. Being as it’s a newer release, spoilers will be everywhere within this post. So if you haven’t seen the movie yet, or you’re okay with spoilers – let’s begin.

Before we officially begin though, it’s important to note that Director James Wandidn’t take many shortcuts when translating the infamous Enfield Haunting onto the big screen – this is proved when he went so far as to display real-life photographs and locations against the ones shown in the movie during the end credits. I mean, that’s impressive and it really adds to the tone of the film. Even hearing the actual tapes during the credits reminded viewers that this was an actual event..or was it?

At the beginning of the movie, we start with the infamous Amityville case and its aftermath, because most of Conjuring 2 has to keep going back to the Warrens‘ story across the Atlantic as they deal with how traumatizing the event was for Lorraine. The case in this movie was often called the “English Amityville,” or “the Enfield Case” because [unlikewhat was shown in the movie] there was many paranormal investigators swooping in from all over the globe. So yes, the Warrensdid drop by at one point in 1978 according to one of the investigators, Guy Lyon Playfair. But according to him, during an interview on Darkness Radio, the Warrens showed up “uninvited and only stayed for a day.” Even worse, Playfair claimed: “All I can remember is Ed Warren telling me that he could make a lot of money for me out of it.”Playfair isn’t the first to say something like this – over the course of their cases, the Warrens were constantly called out for “helping families for the money and fame” rather than their hearts of gold – which the movies show them to have. [listen to the entire interview with Playfair here]

though I gotta say, the chemistry between these two is perfect.

It’s important to note that a lot of the details in the movie, like how the supernatural problems occur after the girls play with a Ouija board, are fact though – and are straight from the accounts of the Hodgson family. [especially Janet and Peggy] They did flee to the neighbor’s house like they did in the film, with witnesses claimed they could hear “whistling” and “knocking on the walls” just as it happens in the film.

But note that I said “a lot” of the details..not all. Some of the more extravagant occurrences, such as the scene [that’s also seen in the trailer] where we see all the crosses on the wall turning upside down, has absolutely no basis in what the girls say happened: You read that right, this never happened. [though the girls claim that the room really did have crosses on the wall in the first place]Janet was also actually recorded having a deep-throated, evil voice when in interviews and throughout the investigations. You can also see in the interview below that the movie actually followed Janet‘s mannerisms and claims quite faithfully.

Another important tidbit, which comes from the movie and the actual case, was that an older man by the name of Bill Wilkinsactually died in their home. According to Terry: Bill Wilkins‘ son, the man actually did die in that bloody chair of a brain hemorrhage. As you no doubt heard in the interview video above, Janet claims to have been possessed by Wilkins, leading many to believe this gives a large credibility to the case. But does it? Hold on. In the movie, one of the skeptics points out that Janet could have very easily have heard about Wilkins from a neighbor, and it would have been very easy for her to fake the voice in order to keep the whole charade going. Still, the movie pays close attention to Janet‘s specific recollections, even adding her [actual] claims that when the “voice” came over her, she felt like something was behind her.. But this is all nothing compared to what comes next:

Janet was caught faking the haunting: and more than once!

[the longer I look at this, the more it really does look like she’s just jumping]

Near the end of the movie, the investigators catch Janet bending spoons and flipping tables on video, making it clear to them that she was faking the activity – but would you believe me if I said that this also happened in reality, with Janet and her sister faking it more than once in the exact same manner? It’s true as even Janetherself has admitted that “some” of the events were faked, even though she adamantlyremains convinced that most of it was real, including her possession. At least the haunting[s] stopped, right? By the end of The Conjuring 2, we earn something of a conclusion, that the demonic spirit is destroyed by the Warrens and everyone is happy. However, it also points out at the very end that Peggy Hodgson continued to live in the home until her last days of life [which is fact] and ultimately – died in the same chair as Bill Wilkins. This follows the truth of it [for the most part], as the Hodgsons have claimed over the years that while most of the haunting stopped after a priest visited them in 1978, activity still occurred in the home for the following decades to a smaller and lesser degree. Of course, like any other “true story”, the movie also left out a few important parts: such as Janet being sent to a psychiatric hospital where they “stuck electrodes” on her head for tests. Though, the tests turned out normal. The movie also leaves out that Janet‘s sister Margaret had “the voice” speak through her as well!

Left to right: Margaret, Johnny, Janet

The question I’ll leave you with today is “Is it all a hoax?” Unfortunately, It’s hard to claim that the entire case was just faked by this family considering all evidence to the contrary. But you have to admit: it’s even more impressive how well-documented this case was, which resulted in a movie that manages to capture much of the story’s compelling moments and arguments without drifting too far from the truth. You know, except for the part where Ed and LorraineWarren are not just “in it for the money.” If you’re still aching for more on this “case”, click here for a hour long documentary on the Enfield Poltergeist and be sure to leave your thoughts on this whole “scenario” in the comments below!

As always, if you find yourself to enjoy what I do on here, then pleasetake a minute and follow meover on my Facebook page[we’re at over 150+ likes – let’s get to 200!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see everypost from warrenisweird the verymoment it’s been “gone live” online; and I alsoshare links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog.

Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! I’ve also been writing way more reviews on my Letterboxd account, this is because I’m trying to review every single movie I watch – with each review coming the very next day after viewing! Are you interested yet? Check me out over there and click that “follow” button! I’m just bound to follow you back because I like reading other people’s thoughts on film, as well as writing reviews myself!

If you’re a regular on warrenisweird, you’re probably feeling like we’ve talked about this before; and that’s because we have. Back in mid January, I talked about how Saw VIII was still possible, and now The Tracking Board has confirmed that Lionsgate is working on another sequel..and it’s official title is “Saw: Legacy“. This.. could mean anything. Remember, for fans of the series, Jigsaw‘s games came to a “close” with 2010’s Saw 3D[sometimes titled “Saw: The Final Chapter”], which was considered the end of the franchise.. But if you remember, the final scene set up a world that could easily be expanded; especially because this “finale” didn’t answer all the questions that we were given. Considering Lionsgate hasn’t made a new Saw film in over six years, it’s clear that they took the time to take a breather from the series. I, along with countlessother fans have talked abut the seventh Saw wasn’t…couldn’t… be the end, and as proof; the studio has even considered remakingWan and Whannell’s original film – which is often called one of the most important horror films of all time. [or at the very least, of it‘s time]

The only weird part of all this is who is writing the story. It isn’t Wan or Whannell, or even one of the writers of the many sequels.. it’s actually going to be Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger – who we know as the guys behind Sorority Row, Piranha 3D and Piranha 3DD! Naturally though – being as it’s their characters/original story-line – James Wan will executive produce this “new chapter” with Leigh Whannell at his side.

I always thought this ending was a cop-out – there’s no way it was the “finale”..

One of the things I always found most interesting about the Sawseries is that it was meant to tell a single story across all the sequels. I mean, sure, it may have ended up a complex, and wild web of flashbacks, but at least it wasn’t just the same story over and over with a different cast every time. It did try to follow one big story and The Final Chapterdid leave threads hanging for possible future contributions. At this point and time though, there’s no sense trying to guess at what Saw: Legacy will be, or what it’s trying to accomplish. Will it be a continuation? A reboot? Maybe a prequel showing John Kramer becoming Jigsaw? Nobody’s saying anything. But one thing’s pretty much certain: there will be blood.

I’m very curious what they’re going to with the franchise. I used tolove the fact that every Halloween meant anotherSaw film, and now I feel they’ve been bled dry. [haha…sorry] But, seeing as they waited six years, and didn’t just churn out another film just to say they did, I’m thinking pretty positive..so far. Obviously, there’s no trailer, details, or even pictures that have surfaced [this news only became public in the last day] So, the next we’ll see a movie from James Wan will be The Conjuring 2, [June 10th, 2016] which I’m actually fairly excited for! But enough about me. What do You thing about yet another Saw film? Is this something that you’ve been hoping for? If so, what do you think is going to happen – a prequel? Sequel? Or maybe a reboot? Let me know in the comments below!

Also, if you find yourself to enjoy what I do on here, then pleasetake a minute and follow meover on my Facebook page[it’s at over 135+ likes – only a few more and we’ll have reached over 150!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see everypost from warrenisweird the verymoment it’s been posted online; and I alsoshare links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

As you’ve probably caught onto while reading things I write on here, I’m a fairly regular reader over on IMDb.[I often tag a movie I mention with their IMDb page] When not using their pages for posts on here, I enjoy looking up movie trivia, and even sometimes even reading [and commenting] in the forums. But when looking up a few behind the scene features on the Saw franchise [I actually do this a lot, for many movies] about the traps, something caught my eye: in the section that tells a reader what other movies they may like, [based on the movie page they’re currently on] I saw something.. something titled ” Saw VIII ” with a tag line stating “ARE YOU WORTHY?” . Wait. Seriously? Yes – Seriously. [here’s the IMDb official page for it!] I started doing some research on it, and naturally, various rumors and a lot of fake trailers for a “Saw 8″ have made appearances on YouTube and even message boards. But going back, to IMDb, it looks as if it was added a while ago, with the original writers [Leigh Whannel and James Wan] and Tobin Bell, who plays the John Kramer himself, have been added to the cast and crew section. Curious, I dug deeper. Eventually, I came across on the 31st of March 2015, Lionsgate uploaded an image from SAW V onto it’s Facebook page, seemingly without out of no where. Not just any picture – this picture. But trust me, it gets better. As expected, people went crazy over this picture, as proven by it’s nearly 10,000 likes. In one comment, someone [who’s has been whited out for obvious privacy reasons] says “So let the games continue!” and how does Lionsgate reply?

Of course, other than this reply, [which, in all honesty: could mean anything] not much is known about this ‘sequel’ other than Tobin Bell, WhannelandWan are back. Another possible hint as to another film showed up a few months later, in May 2015, when a site called Release Date Portal put up an article titled ‘Saw 8 Release Date June 2016‘. The article isn’t really anything special, and it doesn’t confirm anything, but it does include some interesting quotes from producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules about their plans for making another Saw film, and about bringing the original writers back on board:

” James and Leigh…when Saw came out they were so afraid of being ‘the Saw guys’ and they were trying to make their own mark. Now that they’ve made their own mark, they’re very comfortable to come back. It’s one of the reasons we agreed to do this again…Our goal is to go to Comic-Con, not next summer but the summer after [ by this point, they would have meant 2016] with our heads up saying, ‘Alright. Here we go!’ “

Realistically, this would mark the first time a SAW film hasn’t come out a year after it’s previous sequel. Speaking of that last sequel, by the end of [the terrible]Saw 3D, we see Cary Elwes – Dr. Lawrence Gordon putting Hoffman – as played by Costas Mandylor – in the original film’s bathroom trap. For a lot of fans, myself included, the finalSAW movie was kind of bland; and almost a cop out for the series. What happened to Hoffman when he got locked in the bathroom? It’s implied that he dies in there, but does he? This is only one of many questions that “the final chapter” left for viewers, and if we’re being honest: we need at least some of those questions answered. Mainly being, doesGordon become the nextJigsaw? It’s not like he can just shrug off what he’s done, and go back to a normal life..

So the question[s] remain: Do YOU think SAW VIII is really a necessity – Why or why not? Also, if we do get an eighth installment in this series, what do YOU expect to happen? Let me know in the comments below! As for myself, I’m curious, but I’m glad that they’ve waited longer than a year to make this. Maybe they’ll have a fantastic story..at least better than “the final chapter” which no one likes to talk about..

As always, if you find yourself to enjoy what I do on here, then please take a minute and follow meover on my Facebook page[it’s at over 130+ likes – only a few more and we’ll have reached over 150!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see everypost from warrenisweird the verymoment it’s been posted online; and I alsoshare links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

Hey everybody; Guess what day it is? How bout you, Jason? Can you tell us what day it is? Is it reallyFriday The 13th already? Okay, let’s do something different: today is Friday, so this can technically be counted as a Friday Fun Fact; so what better film to talk about than the one with the same title as today’s date: Friday The 13th. If you’re a fan of slashers, You probably love the entire Friday The 13th library – even if they got a little over the top after a while or maybe you’re just curious about how the movie got it’s title. Either way, Unlike mostFriday Fun Facts where I only post a few pieces of trivia, today we’re talking 13 things that you [probably] didn’t know about Friday The 13th– as a franchise.

In case you haven’t seen the movies, and you’re worried you might get confused later, here’s the list of the Friday The 13th movies – in order. Think you’ve got it? Okay when you’re ready, let’s begin! [this is gonna be a long one]

According to the original script for the movie, Jason’s name was planned to be Josh. If things had worked out the way Director Sean Cunningham had initially expected, the name Josh Voorhees would have quickly been forgotten. [which was the plan all along]Cunningham didn’t plan for sequels, let alone so many, and besides – in the first film, “Josh Voorhees” wasn’t even the real killer! At least this saved us from getting a movie known to the world as “Freddy VS Josh,” am I right?

[02] Freddy Krueger almost ‘attacked’ Jason earlier:

In 1987, if things had gone as they were planned, one of The Nightmare On Elm Street films was supposed to include a flashback scene showing Fred Krueger as a counselor working at Camp Crystal Lake. Fred was going to be shown molesting a young Jason Voorhees, which would therefore add more to the sympathy for Jason that tends to be something we, as horror fans, feel for him.

[03] 13 different actors played Jason Voorhees:

Friday The 13th – Ari Lehman as the boy who jumped out of the water at the end

Friday The 13th Part II – Steve Daskawisz played the murderous Jason with the sack on his head

Friday The 13th Part II – Warrington Gillette played the unmasked Jason near the end of the film

Friday The 13th Part III – Richard Brooker plays Jason, and becomes the first man to wear the iconic hockey mask

Friday The 13th Part IV – Jason was played by stuntman Ted White

Friday The 13th Part V – Wait, the killer wasn’t Jason in this film. He wasn’t in this movie, was he? He was actually; in a few flashback scenes where he was played by Tom Morga

Friday The 13th Part VI – C. J. Graham reprises his infamous night club impersonation of Jason for this movie

Friday The 13th Part VII – This film marks the first appearance of Kane Hodder as Jason, a role he would hold for three more movies in the franchise

Friday The 13th Part VIII – Tim Mirkovich plays Jason after he was reverted to a boy by the toxic waste bath.

Friday The 13th Part XI – Ken Kirzinger stars as Jason for most of the Freddy vs. Jason action

Friday The 13th Part XI – Stuntman Glenn Ennis stands in for Ken Kirzinger for some of the more physically difficult portions of Freddy VS. Jason

Friday The 13th Part XII – In the remake film, Caleb Guss portrays Jason as a little boy..

Friday The 13th Part XII – Derek Mears performs the role of adult/murderous Jason throughout most of the film.

[04] Camp Crystal Lake is a boy scout camp:

This one is more well known but for those of you who didn’t, the filming location for Camp Crystal Lake is Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco – a Boy Scout camp near Blairstown, New Jersey. The camp still serves as an active Boy Scout camp to this day.

[05] Jason was going to wear an umpire’s mask:

Until the umpire mask was dropped because of the time it would take to create the visible portion of Jason’s deformed face beneath the mask. Instead, a hockey mask was used because it covers the entire face – no makeup required! Good thing too, cause that hockey mask is just so damn iconic.

[06] Several ‘Parts’ do not take place on Friday The 13th:

With a movie series like this one, it’s easy to assume each and every movie takes place on Friday the 13th, but that’s not exactly the case. Friday The 13th and Friday The 13th Part II both take place on Friday the 13th. However, Part III takes place immediatelyafter the end of Part II and continues through to Saturday[the 14th] and Sunday – the 15th. Part IV begins immediately after Part III, which means it begins on Sunday the 15th and mostly takes place on Monday the 16th. In Part VI, one of the deputies says that the date is Friday the 13th…I hope I didn’t lose you there, I pretty much lost myself for a second as well!

[07] Jason’s Mother only showed up for a new car:

Betsy Palmer, who played Jason’s mother, only agreed to appear in the original Friday The 13th because she needed to buy a new car. Already a movie and television personality, Betsy Palmer didn’t just appear back in the 1970’s. When Betsy’s agent offered her the role of Pamela Voorhees, Betsy’s first thought was to reject the offer. Luckily for us, her car broke down and a new one was going to cost her around $10,000 – which, evened out as that was the exact amount she was offered for the honor of getting her head chopped off by the character of Alice.

[08] Camp Crystal Lake is rarely the setting:

Quickly. Right off the top of your head: what movie setting do you think of when you think “Friday The 13th”? I’m betting you said “Camp Crystal Lake,” didn’t you? Well, you’d be wrong [for the most part] because if you watch and think about it, very few of the movies take place at the infamous death camp.

Of course, the first film in the series takes place at Camp Crystal Lake, but it’s not until Jason Lives that we finally return to Camp Blood. That, and the remake from 2009.

[09] The forever lasting hockey mask:

It’s a rare thing in movies to carry the same prop forward from one movie to the next, yet that’s exactly what happened with Jason’s hockey mask from Part III through VI. Pretty impressive stuff if you ask me!

[10]an actor from the movies was also in the TV series:

Remember this guy? It’s older Tommy Jarvis from Part V! Oddly enough, after all the movies were finished, he appeared in the Friday The 13th TV show as a constable in the episode titled: “The Baron’s Bride”. [see him in the show here]

[11] Freddy Krueger appears in two Friday films:

Although technically one of these films is a spin-off, [Freddy VS. Jason] Freddyalso appeared at the end of one of his own films – snatching away the mask, dragging it to Hell!

[12] Kane Hodder played Jason, Krueger, and a victim:

Did you know there was an actor that played Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and a victim of Jason‘s all in one movie? Seriously: Kane Hodder, mostly known for his portrayal of Jason in Parts VII through to X, alsoplayed both Freddy Krueger[the gloved hand, in as seen above – in 11] and an unnamed security guard who gets slaughtered by Jason.

[13] Jason seems to prefer Blondes:

As a movie with this many sequels will tell you, it’s worth dyeing your hair and putting on a dress if Jason is killing everyone around you. Almost every ‘final girl’ in the Friday franchise has been blonde or some deviation. Don’t believe me? Here’s the list of [blonde] survivors:

Friday The 13th – Alice Hardy[well, it was kind of a blondish brown hair color, but still!]

Friday The 13th Part II –Ginny Field

Friday The 13th Part III –Chris Higgins[her hair is more brown than blonde, but at least it’s a light brown]

Friday The 13th Part IV –Trish Jarvis

Friday The 13th Part V –Pam Roberts[it wasn’t Jason doing the killing, but she was still blonde]

Friday The 13th Part VI –Megan Garris

Friday The 13th Part VII –Tina Shepard

Friday The 13th Part IX – Jessica Kimble

Friday The 13th Part XI – Lori Campbell

Needless to say, if you’ve made it this far, you’ve done quite well for yourself! This is arguably my longest post yet, and I swear they won’t be this long all the time. I just figured why not mention 13 things for Friday The 13th? Even if these movies got extremely cheesy over time, they’re still some of the greatest slashers in the history of 80s films.

Though, I still stand that Freddy won the battle – just saying – I hope by the end of this [very long]Friday Fun Fact, you learned a thing or two about our masked monster who truthfully – isn’t really a monster at all: Just misunderstood. What was your favorite piece of trivia? Did you know Jason had an infatuation with Blondes? Perhaps this means that they really do have more fun?

Seriously. As it turns out, the new film, which has nothing to do with the surprisingly popular three-film franchise that came from the 2010 remake, will be featuring the original film’s Director Meir Zarchi and Camille Keaton, who is reprising her role as Jennifer Hills. With the title I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu, the film’s plot is as follows:

“Following her brutal rape, Jennifer wrote a best-selling account of her ordeal and of the controversial trial in which she was accused of taking the law into her own hands and ruthlessly killing her assailants. In the small town where the rape and revenge took place, the relatives of the four rapists she killed are furious that the court declared her not guilty and resolve to take justice into their own hands.”

In this next chapter, Jennifer Hills will be joined by her daughter Christy, as well as a variety of new characters, including Maria Olsen who will playing the role of Johnny’s wife, who was the gas station attendant Jennifer castrated; Jim Tavare will be in the role of Herman, whose son Matthew was hung by Jennifer, as well as by actors Jonathan Peacy, Jeremy Ferdman, Holgie Forrester, Roy Allen and Alexandra Kenworthy.

What I find surprising is that for a sequel that we didn’t hear was even happening, [until now]Zarchi has already wrapped the movie’s filming and is currently – and/or already – in post-production. He’s come forward saying “I always envisioned Camille Keaton returning to continue the saga of Jennifer Hills. Getting together with Camille to film the sequel was a surreal, deja-vu-like experience”. Could this be the reason for the title? Or could it be because the family members of the original men who attacked Jennfier want revenge? That’s a question we’ll have to wait to find out, because we don’t have a trailer or screenshots of any sort yet: HOPEFULLY SOON.

Sometimes, the world has surprising twists. It’s pretty damn awesome to know that the cast and crew from the original film have kept in contact all this time, and formed a familial bond that seems to have endured over three and a half decades. To the point where we’re actually getting a sequel to a film that when first released – was banned for it’s content.

So even though there’s not much to go on yet, this sequel is shaping up to be something to look forward to! What to expect is left to the mind, because we can’t assume it’s going to follow the same plot as the first film; [though it is likely] maybe the family members of the original captors are going to go after Jennifer‘s daughter? Who knows; this is just my guess! Check out these pictures of Zarchi and a few others on the set of I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu below!

So now I look to you; how do you feel about this sequel to the film I Spit On Your Grave – are you excited for more of Jennifer Hills? Or do you feel that the original was so controversial that it should have stayed as one film? Let me know your thoughts in a comment or two below!

Also, if find yourself to enjoy what I do on here – whether it’s movie reviews or upcoming horror news kind of like this – then please take a minute and follow meover on my Facebook page[it’s at over 125+ likes – only a few more and we’ll have reached over 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see everypost from warrenisweird the verymoment it’s been posted online; and I alsoshare links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

you know what they say: “cleanliness is next to godliness.” Good on you, Jennifer.

Today, we return to the swamp in the sequel to yesterday’s movie, Hatchet II. To no one’s surprise, Kane Hodder and Tony Todd reprise their roles as Crowley and Reverend Zombie, but this time, we get Danielle Harris, who replaces Tamara Feldman as Marybeth. As with many sequels, this one takes place more or less right after the first film ends, and even if we have a “new” Marybeth, Harris works really well as the character – to the point of making us feel how vengeful she really is towards Victor Crowley. If you’re reading this review, hopefully you’ve seen the firstHatchet film, because Hatchet II takes place right after the first film. Down to the very lastframe.. HOLD ON TO YOUR PIECES!

Last time we saw her, Marybeth was in Honey Island Swamp with the group of tourists who were all massacred, though Marybeth barely escapes the wrath of Victor Crowley. Her father [and brother] were not so lucky. [they were the fishers, who were killed in the first ten minutes of the first film] We now see that she’s saved by a local swamp scavenger, who proceeds to yell at her after he finds that she is from the Dunston family. He does tell her she should have Reverend Zombie explain everything to her, as that’ll clear some things up.

After she gets a longexplanation from Zombie, he explains that he was a friend of her father’s. [who, if you remember, was played by none other than Robert Englund!] As it turns out, it was Marybeth‘s father and his two friends played fire induced prank that ultimately resulted in Victor Crowley‘s death. Together, Marybeth and Reverend Zombie decide to round up a party of local hunters to clear the swamp area in order to recover the bodies of her brother and father, where Zombie offers $500 just for going on the expedition. [y’know..to cover legal costs…and stuff] Who knows? Maybe the expedition might lead to opening the Swamp for legal gator hunting, and therefore; legal swamp tours by Zombie‘s company. Listen carefully though when the group of hunters are talking about their plans for Crowley, one hunter specifically mentions another Local Legend from his town by the name of Leslie Vernon [Behind The Mask references!]

Once the group gets deeper and deeper into the swamp by nightfall, they try to figure out their plan. Naturally, to increase incentives, whoever brings back the head of Victor Crowley, Zombie will give them $5000! Because Zombie has a ‘secret’ plan that he thinks will destroy the curse.

Hatchet II looks and feelsmuch cheaper than the first, but that might be considering the original was shot on 35mm film for $1.5 million, while this one was shot on digital for half that budget. There’s a nice flashback sequence explaining the origins of the killer, and Tony Todd gets to play a leading role this time around and, as per his usual, does a great job holding things together. But if we are to get real here, the target audience isn’t really going to care much about the dialogue, plot, acting or even the production values: they’ve come here for the gore, and this movie delivers on that front. As expected, Adam Green seems to be fond of head and face mutilations in his horror films. We see a face get sliced off, a face chopped to a bloody pulp, a face smashed to a bloody pulp, a face chopped to bits by an boat motor and a head getting sanded down [and then smashed in] with a belt sander. It’s a gory, bloody mess; and I absolutely love it.

Hatchet II is clearly not for the faint-hearted, but then every moment of violence is so over the top that, if treated as the pure horror comedy spectacle it is, it will have audiences clapping and cheering at every lovingly put together death sequence: it’s almost as if the unique deaths of the firstHatchet film got boosted times 1000000! If the gore itself isn’t enough for you, Hatchet II‘s final tally count of fake blood used in the making is a whopping 136 gallons.. This means, that over 81 gallons more was used in this sequel and double the amount used in the making of Hatchet, which reportedly used 55 gallons of fake blood by the film’s end. Unfortunately, like the first film, Hatchet II met with a lot of negative responses, mainly saying that it’s just a ‘gorefest’. I mean, it is: the third act goes into ridiculously over the top slasher gore. But, it’s for good reason. The film goes from one insanely original and creatively grotesque death scene to another. Let’s be honest though, the film does open with a man being strangled until his head bursts by his own intestines.. but we don’t get much more of that until the last third of the film. It’s worth the wait though, because even if the film isn’t very scary or even disturbing at all, it’s so over the top and ridiculous, it comes off as fun! You can tell, like the first film, that Adam Green had a blast making these movies, as they are tributes to the slasher films of the 80s that he grew up with, that aren’t meant to have story telling genius plots, but instead; gratuitous violence…which we’re all here to see anyway, right?

So if you like messy, gory films: check out Hatchet II. It’s by no means a fantastic storytelling film, but it has passion put into it. Like it’s predecessor, Hatchet, you can tell that the people who made them aren’t out for awards, but to have fun. It’s a great movie to watch on an October Friday night while trying to figure out, just how do you kill the infamous Victor Crowley? Like the first film though, it does end kind of abruptly, with Crowley getting shot in the face with a shotgun..multiple times. But is he truly gone..for good? I guess not, because tomorrow I review the epic conclusion to the Hatchet series, Hatchet III!

another thing! If you have an idea for the nextweirdo’ween review please let me know which movie[s] you’d like to see next! If you found yourself to enjoy this particular review – and want to see more – then take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page[it’s at over 120+ likes almost at 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! Join me tomorrow morning when I talk about weirdo’ween #15 – which will conclude the trilogy with Hatchet III! – STAY TUNED!

Remember Evil Dead ? It was easily one of, if not – my favorite film of it’s year. It was gruesome, it was totallynot what I expected, it was violent, and it was a remake [one of the only remakes I actually enjoy!] of one of my favorite films ever: The Evil Dead. With San Diego Comic Con wrapping up this past weekend, a lot has been mentioned/shown to audiences lucky enough to be forward enough, but of everything shown, I’m finding myself looking forward to most but mainly — two specific things; Ash VS Evil Dead and [more recently hinted at] an Evil Dead crossover film featuring both AshandMia.. and this is coming from Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi themselves!

In addition to showing off their first full trailer for Ash VS Evil Dead, [which I’ll include in this post, near the end!] plus telling a room full of over 1000 people that the new series will premiere exclusively on Starz on Oct. 31st — that’s Halloween, for you primitive screwheads who can’t already tell — Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbellalso let the notion of a [major] possibility for what we might expect from the nextEvil Dead movie.

When asked whether Raimi, who is an executive producer on Ash VS Evil Dead [and director of its first episode], would ever like to make another Evil Dead film, Raimi had a this to say:: “After working with Fede Alvarez, who did a terrific job on the Evil Dead remake…we loved that movie and we [are] thinking we should do a team-up eventually of his great heroine and our hero for a joint-Evil Dead reality.”

For those who don’t know; Instead of clumsy yet loveable Ash, the remake saw Mia[played by the beautiful Jane Levy] as the heroine of the film, becoming a Deadite-likecreature herself, before ultimately stopping the horde of enemies from taking over.. though by then, She was much too late. Without getting into it too much, it was essentially exactly what I wanted from the series: I just didn’t know it until I saw it with my own two eyes! Going back to the topic at hand, what it seems that Raimi is suggesting is a crossover between the originalEvil Dead films’ star [Ash] and the hero[ine] from the remake; making this a team up so much more groovy than anything we’ve come to see from the film series we already know and love! In retrospect, this would explain why [SPOILERS! but not really] Ash appears at the end of the remake’s credits just simply stating ‘groovy’!’ Obviously, this is just all “a possibly” right now — with nothing confirmed just yet.. All that is certain is Ash VS Evil Dead, which is coming together perfectly. It’s really coming to feel like the original Evil Dead series again; with blood, guts, and even some comedy thrown in the mix — something that was missing from the remake, which made it effective as fuck. [seriously: that remake was great, even if it was pure terror!] Also, if you haven’t – check out the first full trailer for Ash VS Evil Dead, below!

So now I turn to you, with today’s question which is: Did you like the Evil Dead remake? Or did you find the lack of comedy just “not Evil Dead” ? What about a crossover with AshandMia? Is this something you’d want to see on the big screen, or should the two series be left to their own series? Let me know in a comment or two!! Also, If you found yourself to enjoy this article, please take a minute and follow meover on Facebook where you can click the “like” button on my Facebook page. By clicking “like”, you’ll see everypost from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted. I alsoshare links and pictures that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more articles, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share the page with your family and friends!